Produced Water Treatment System for Chemical Recovery
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Solution Overview
Problem
The drilling of natural gas and oil wells generates large amounts of contaminated water with high total dissolved solids (TDS), which poses challenges in treatment and disposal, particularly in high TDS basins like the Bakken, Marcellus, and Utica, where existing methods result in significant waste and high disposal costs.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for treating produced water to generate high purity products such as caustic soda, hydrochloric acid, and sodium hypochlorite, involving a multi-step process including coagulation, pH adjustments, flocculation, filtration, ion exchange, and electrolysis, which systematically removes contaminants and produces high-quality brine for electrolysis, reducing waste and disposal costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If produced water is treated using conventional methods, then treatment and disposal can be achieved, but significant waste is generated and disposal costs are high
Solution Approach 1:
The system recovers valuable chemicals (caustic soda, hydrochloric acid, sodium hypochlorite) from produced water that would otherwise be discarded as waste. The electrolysis process converts dissolved salts into marketable products, transforming a waste disposal problem into a resource recovery opportunity and eliminating the need for conventional high-cost disposal methods
Solution Approach 2:
The system converts the harmful high TDS content and contaminants in produced water into beneficial chemical products. The electrolysis process transforms dissolved salts and impurities into valuable chemicals (caustic soda, hydrochloric acid, sodium hypochlorite), turning a disposal liability into an economic asset
2Ease of manufacture
If produced water with high TDS is disposed of through conventional means, then disposal is achieved, but disposal costs increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system converts the harmful high TDS content and contaminants in produced water into beneficial chemical products. The electrolysis process transforms dissolved salts and impurities into valuable chemicals (caustic soda, hydrochloric acid, sodium hypochlorite), turning a disposal liability into an economic asset and eliminating disposal costs
Solution Approach 2:
The system makes the produced water itself serve the purpose of generating valuable chemicals through electrolysis. The dissolved salts and contaminants that would require expensive disposal instead become the raw materials for chemical production, making the treatment process self-sufficient and economically beneficial
3Manufacturing precision
If a multi-step treatment process is implemented to remove contaminants, then high purity products are generated, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The treatment system is divided into distinct functional modules: coagulation tank for contaminant aggregation, multiple pH adjustment tanks for chemical control, filtration systems for physical separation, ion exchange columns for selective ion removal, and electrolysis units for chemical conversion. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently while maintaining overall system manageability
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses intermediate treatment steps with pH adjustment tanks and filtration systems between the raw produced water and the final electrolysis process. These intermediaries progressively clean and condition the water, ensuring the electrolysis unit receives pre-treated water that maximizes product purity while protecting the equipment
4Loss of substance
If contaminants are systematically removed to produce high quality brine, then valuable chemicals are recovered, but treatment time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system operates continuously with multiple tanks and units processing water in parallel streams. While one tank undergoes coagulation, another performs filtration, and a third conducts electrolysis, ensuring that the treatment process never stops and maximizing chemical recovery without extending overall treatment time
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary coagulation, pH adjustment, and filtration steps before the final electrolysis process. These preliminary actions pre-condition the produced water by removing bulk contaminants and optimizing chemical composition, which accelerates the subsequent electrolysis process and increases chemical recovery efficiency
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system effectively converts contaminated produced water into high-value products with minimal waste, eliminating the need for EPA-regulated Class II disposal and reducing environmental impact and treatment costs, while utilizing almost 100% of the produced water as raw material for further processing.
Implementation Method 1
a coagulation tank configured to oxidize and coagulate effluent from waste water influent
Implementation Method 2
a coagulation tank configured to oxidize and coagulate effluent from waste water influent
Implementation Method 3
a first floc mix tank configured to add a first flocculant to effluent from the first pH adjustment tank
Implementation Method 4
an iron clarifier configured to separate iron from effluent from the first floc mix tank
Implementation Method 5
at least one multimedia filter configured to filter effluent from the second pH adjustment tank
Implementation Method 6
a first organics removal system configured to remove at least petroleum hydrocarbons from effluent from the at least one multimedia filter
Implementation Method 7
a first heat exchanger configured to heat effluent from the first organics removal system
Implementation Method 8
a softening clarifier configured to remove calcium carbonate and magnesium hydroxide sludge from effluent from the third pH adjustment tank
Implementation Method 9
a weak acid cation ion exchange column and a chelating ion exchange column configured to remove any remaining calcium and remaining magnesium to a level of less than 50 ppb from effluent from the softening clarifier
Implementation Method 10
an aluminum clarifier configured to remove aluminum from effluent from the second floc mix tank
Implementation Method 11
a membrane system configured to allow transport of ammonium ions across a semipermeable membrane into a cross flowing solution containing sulfuric acid to remove ammonium from effluent from the fifth pH adjustment tank
Implementation Method 12
an ammonia stripping tower configured to remove remaining ammonia from effluent from the membrane system
Implementation Method 13
a polishing tank configured to remove fluoride by using activated alumina from effluent from the sixth pH adjustment tank
Implementation Method 14
a filter configured to remove colloidal solids from effluent from the polishing tank
Implementation Method 15
a second organics removal system configured to remove at least one of organic acid and alcohol from effluent from the filter
Implementation Method 16
an evaporative brine concentrator configured to concentrate effluent from the second organics removal system, wherein effluent from the evaporative brine concentrator is a concentrated purified brine
Implementation Method 17
at least one electrolysis unit configured to convert the concentrated purified brine into at least one of sodium hydroxide, hydrochloric acid, and sodium hypochlorite
Data Source
AI summary
The systems and methods disclosed herein process produced/flowback water, such as high total dissolved solids produced water, to generate high purity, high value products with little to no waste. The generated high purity, high value products include caustic soda, hydrochloric acid, and/or sodium hypochlorite. Further, the methods and systems disclosed herein generate high quality brine for electrolysis through the systematic removal of contaminants such as but not limited to suspended solids, iron, sulfides, barium, radium, strontium, calcium, magnesium, manganese, fluoride, heavy metals, organic carbon, recoverable hydrocarbons, silica, lithium, and/or nitrogen containing compounds. Further, some products generated by the systems and methods disclosed herein may be recovered and reutilized or sold for other uses, such as carbon dioxide, calcium oxide, chlorine, magnesium oxide, calcium carbonate, and/or barium sulfate.